DU QUOIN, Ill. (Dec. 5, 2013)—The POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series has been forced to cancel Saturday’s fourth annual Great Clips Battle at the Center presented by K & N Filters by a severe winter storm the National Weather Service predicts will drop freezing rain, sleet and three-to-seven inches of snow at the Southern Illinois Center and the surrounding areas in the two days leading up to the event.

The NWS forecast calls for freezing rain and sleet on Thursday during daylight hours preceding a 100 percent chance of tonight and Friday.

The indoor event on the Mini Magic Mile at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds had attracted an all-star field of midget drivers including Bryan Clauson, Chris Bell, Andrew Felker, Brad Kuhn, Jerry Coons Jr. Darren Hagen and Danny Stratton.

“It’s really unfortunate we have to cancel the Battle at the Center,” POWRi co-founder Kenny Brown said. “We had a great group of drivers and it would have been a tremendous event. With the ice and snow, it would have been difficult for the fans, competitors and officials to get to Du Quoin and there is a realistic possibility of the ice knocking out the electricity at the event. We’re very disappointed, but it was not possible for the event to go on Saturday. We tried to find a replacement date, but there wasn’t anything available in the next couple of weeks and then we run into Christmas. We thank the teams that entered and we’ll be returning their entry fees.”

For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.